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From the Email Bag – Scammers Target Websites for Children By Christine Durst & Michael Haaren May 10, 2012 Dear Rat Race Rebellion: My daughter, who is 8, recently began visiting websites for children, where she plays games. But suddenly my computer is really slow, and friends have been telling me that they get spam emails from me, too. Do you think this has anything to do with my daughter’s online activities? – Sandra in Spokane, Wash. Dear Sandra: It’s quite possible that your daughter has fallen prey to viruses or other malware embedded in the sites she visits. Childrens’ website Neopets, for example, was reported to have been infiltrated by identity thieves as far back as 2009. When children tried to buy a “magic paintbrush,” they were actually downloading malicious code that stole financial data from their parents’ computers. Worse, scammers are even more sophisticated now, and parents have even less time to oversee online activity. If you have teens in the house, also beware websites offering “free ring tones” for cell phones, which often lead to monthly billing charges once personal data is captured. Teens should also be on guard when visiting sites tied to teen celebrities. For example, not long ago Lady Gaga’s Facebook page carried a message touting “free iPads.” Unbeknownst to the singer, the offer was allegedly tied to scammers. Thousands of people may have been duped into providing personal information before the offer was removed. Finally, make sure you have up-to-date antivirus protection from such providers as McAfee or Norton, and be sure that your hard drive is scanned regularly. Dear Rat Race Rebellion: I visited a news website recently that seemed kind of odd. The tabs across the top such as “Sports” and “Weather” led to the same page, and the whole thing was trying to sell me some work-at-home “ecommerce kit.” What’s up with that? – George in St. Louis, Mo. Dear George: The Federal Trade Commission has been trying to root out these sites, but many remain. The intention is to dupe visitors into thinking they’re visiting a trustworthy media site, then sell them various work-at-home schemes, usually involving affiliate marketing. Once victims sign up, their credit cards are often subjected to repeated monthly billings. Worse, personal information is often sold at a nice profit to “boiler rooms.” These call centers then contact victims and use high-pressure sales tactics to induce them to buy expensive “coaching programs” to “optimize their investment” in the work-at-home scheme. The “programs” can cost as much as $15,000 or more. But spotting these bogus media sites is fairly straightforward, once you’ve seen a few. For example, you’ll often find a legitimate media video clip (stolen from a TV station website) discussing home-based jobs or trends. The clip will usually appear blurry from the scammers’ slapdash coding or repeated copying. Phony testimonials, too – with photos from stock photography sites or stolen from other websites – are often included to reinforce trust. These will have a generic or “plain vanilla” look, meant to appeal to as many potential victims as possible. Finally, as you noticed, the tabs across the top of the page are off-kilter, too. They’ll often lead not to weather or sports, but to the work-at-home scheme or other bogus material. ---- Christine Durst and Michael Haaren are leaders in the work-at-home movement and advocates of de-rat-raced living. Their latest book is Work at Home Now, a guide to finding home-based jobs. They offer additional guidance on finding home-based work at www.RatRaceRebellion.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2012 BY STAFFCENTRIX, DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM |
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